5/3/1 Log: Cycle 1. Week 3. Pause Squats

Defranco Hip Mobility

Pause Squats -
BarX5X2
105X3
155X3
185X3
210X3
235X2

Front Squat -
145X3
145X3
145XFailX2

RDL -
95X10
185X5
205X5
225X5

Back Extensions - 3 sets of 15

Here we go again.  Pause Squats went pretty well.  I held all my warm-up sets for several seconds in the hole, and then paused all my work sets normally.  235X2 is an all-around PR for the movement.  If I'm feeling okay next week (more on this in a sec), I will drop my training max per Paul Carter's suggestion, and try to get a few more reps on my top sets in the 2nd and 3rd weeks.

Front Squats on this cycle were only intended to be medium-heavyish, and a way to get more volume work on my quads.  145 is NOT a heavy weight for me on front squats in this rep range.  On the 3rd set, I fucked up my low back somehow.  This feels like the same fucking strain as last July.  I think it's from some combination of getting too far forward in the bottom and my hips tucking under at the bottom as well.  You know the weight isn't too heavy because after I dropped it, I cleaned it back to my fucking shoulders so I could set it back on the stands.  I tried to front squat it again, but it still hurt at the bottom so I stopped.  Fuck, fuck me.

UB: Reps Week 3. Bench

Defranco Shoulder mobility

Bench -
BarX30
65X10
105X6
135X3
170X1
135X10, 6, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3 (31 total reps)

Pull-Downs - 5 sets of 8-10

Standing Abs - 5 sets of 12

Because I failed to hit my target reps in Week 2, and then had to do a lot of singles on my way to 30+ reps, I decided to back-off the first work-set a little in the hopes of bumping up the following sets.  I had mixed results here, as you may be able to tell.  I got more reps on the 2nd set than I had the previous two weeks which is good, however it immediately devolved into triples and doubles.  Also the total reps for the first 2 sets combined isn't any better than the first two weeks, nor did I beat the total number of sets needed to reach 30+.  All in all it kind of seems like I just rearranged the deck chairs. 

I think there are two factors at play here:  1)  because I train alone, I just don't feel comfortable taking every set to the limit, and 2)  I seem to be trimming up.  I don't really weigh myself, but I pretty clearly look leaner in the mirror.  Some of this could be diet.  I haven't been paying any more attention to what I eat, but I think there's a chance I'm not eating as much as I have been.  This may be having the effect that I'm not getting growth in my pressing muscles due to a lack of nutrition.  Also, less mass means less area to distribute the load over, meaning the muscle I do have actually has to work harder to lift the weight.

All in all, I'm not super worried about this becasue I don't really care about the bench press that much.  As long as my squats and rows show improvement, that's the main thing for me, and I haven't stalled on those.  If my squat stalls out 2 weeks in a row, I will eat more going into the following week.  For now, I probably prefer being leaner to making a lot of bench progress.

5/3/1 Log: Cycle 2. Week 3. Pressing

Streching from Defranco's Simple-6, no foam rolling

Press -
BarX10
65X5
75X5
95X5
100X3
115X6
super-set with
Chin-ups - BW sets of 5-6

EZ Bar Overhead Extensions - 65X10, 8, 8, 8, 6
super-set with
Chin-ups - BW sets of 3-6 (52 total chins on the day)

BB Curls - 65X8, 70X8, 75X8X2

I bought a short foam roller for myself that I'm keeping at home, so I may not always do it at the gym as I'm actually doing it more often now than I was.

For whatever reason, Press seems to be the lift I am most likely to go for it with despite my intentions coming into the gym.  I was really only going to get 4, 5 would have been a Rep PR, but I knew 6 would project a new 1RM and I had to go for it once I started the last set.  The last rep or two were a strain.  I maybe could have gotten 1 more.